Vehicles are being designed with a view to reducing the mass of the vehicle but all prevailing safety tests must be met for a design to be acceptable. One test that must be met is FMVSS 214 that is referred to as the Oblique Pole Side Impact Test. In the Oblique Pole Side Impact Test the side of the vehicle is driven into a pole that extends from the ground up to the roof of the vehicle. One unsatisfactory result of this test is that the roof integrity may be compromised as a result of the test.
This disclosure is directed to providing a vehicle body structure that reduces the possibility of roof issues during the 20 MPH Oblique Pole Side Impact Test. This problem and other problems are addressed by this disclosure as summarized below.